Selling Your House Things To Consider When - Collins Community Credit Union

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Selling Your House Things To Consider When - Collins Community Credit Union
Things To Consider When
                                                         FALL 2021
Selling Your House                                     EDITION

                  The Home Team
                  Altoona | Ankeny | Cedar Falls | Cedar Rapids | Clive | Davenport
                  Dubuque | Marion | North Liberty | West Des Moines

                  thehometeam@collinscu.org | 800-475-1150

                  www.collinscu.org/mortgage
Selling Your House Things To Consider When - Collins Community Credit Union
Table of Contents
3   4 Major Incentives To Sell This Fall

6   Expert Insights on the Current
    Housing Market

8   Will Home Prices Continue To Rise?

10 Leveraging Your Equity To Make a Move

13 Remote Work Is Changing
   Our Home Needs

15 If I Sell Now, Where Will I Go?

17 Should I Renovate My House
   Before I Sell It?

18 Save Time and Effort by Selling
   with an Agent

20 Why Pricing Your House Right Matters

21 How To Prepare Your House for
   a Winning Sale

22 Reasons To Hire a
   Real Estate Professional
Selling Your House Things To Consider When - Collins Community Credit Union
4 Major Incentives To Sell This Fall

If you're trying to decide when to sell your house, there may not be a better time
to list than right now. The ultimate sellers' market we're in today won't last
forever. If you’re thinking of making a move, here are four reasons to put your
house up for sale sooner rather than later.

        1. Your House Will Likely Sell Quickly
        According to the Realtors Confidence Index released by the National Association of
        Realtors (NAR), homes continue to sell quickly – on average, they're selling in just
        17 days.

        As a seller, that's great news for you. Average days on market is a strong indicator of
        buyer demand. And if homes are selling quickly, buyers have to be more decisive and
        act fast to submit their offer before other buyers swoop in.

        2. Buyers Are Willing To Compete for Your House
        In addition to selling quickly, homes are receiving multiple offers. That same survey
        shows sellers are seeing an average of 4.5 offers, and they’re competitive ones.
        Realtor.com sums up the impact this can have:
              “Buyers today know bidding wars are a likely outcome and they're coming
              prepared with their best offer in hand. Receiving several offers on your house
              means you can select the one that makes the most sense for your situation
              and financial well-being.”

                                               3
Selling Your House Things To Consider When - Collins Community Credit Union
3. When Supply Is Low, Your                           You can leverage that equity, plus current
   House Is in the Spotlight                          low mortgage rates, to power your move
                                                      now. But these near-historic low rates won’t
One of the most significant challenges for            last forever.
motivated buyers is the current inventory of
                                                      Experts forecast mortgage rates will start to
homes for sale. Though it’s improving, it
                                                      rise in the months ahead. In their forecast,
remains at near-record lows. The chart below
                                                      Freddie Mac says:
shows just how low today’s inventory is.
                                                            “While we forecast rates to increase
If you’re looking to take advantage of buyer
                                                            gradually later in the year, we don't
demand and get the most attention for your
                                                            expect to see a rapid increase. At the
house, selling now before more listings come
to the market might be your best option.                    end of the year, we forecast 30-year
                                                            rates will be around 3.4%, rising to
4. If You’re Thinking of Moving Up,                         3.8% by the fourth quarter of 2022.”
   Now May Be the Time                                When rates rise, even modestly, it’ll impact
                                                      your monthly payment and by extension your
If your current home no longer meets your
                                                      purchasing power.
needs, it may be the perfect time to make a
move. Today, homeowners are gaining a
significant amount of wealth through
growing equity.

                        12.5                      2010
  Months
                        11.5                  2008                               Buyers’
  Inventory of          10.5                                                     Market
  Homes for              9.5           2007                                     (> 7 Months)
  Sale                   8.5
                         7.5          2006
  Today’s low            6.5                                     Neutral Market (6-7 Months)
  inventory puts us      5.5
  in one of the          4.5                                                     Sellers’
  strongest sellers’     3.5 1999                                     Today      Market
  markets ever           2.5
                                                                                (< 6 Months)
                         1.5

                                                                                                NAR

  Bottom Line
  Don't delay. The combination of housing supply challenges, low mortgage rates, and
  extremely motivated buyers gives sellers this season a unique opportunity. If you’re
  thinking about making a move, let's chat about why it makes sense to list your house
  sooner rather than later.

                                                  4
Selling Your House Things To Consider When - Collins Community Credit Union
In the past, home sellers might have waited
weeks or months to get an offer that might not
be as high as they’d hoped. Buyers may have
lowballed, or driven a hard bargain . . .

Today . . . homes are getting snapped up fast,
sometimes within days of going on the
market. Buyers mired in bidding wars are
pushing their offers over asking price, and
often waiving inspections and other demands
to sweeten their offer.
- realtor.com

                       5
Selling Your House Things To Consider When - Collins Community Credit Union
Expert Insights on the
Current Housing Market

Real estate experts agree that the strength of today’s housing market isn’t going
away anytime soon. Here’s what several industry leaders have to say:

 “
          The improvement we saw in new listings growth . . . shows sellers are entering
          the market historically later in the season, which could mean we’ll see
          home buying continue into the fall as buyers jump at new opportunities.

          - George Ratiu, Senior Economist, realtor.com

 “
          Low mortgage rates likely will remain a strong pull for potential home buyers.
          A rush to lock in a low rate may continue to propel the housing market. NAR
          predicts the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage to rise, expecting it to average 3.2% from
          October through December.

          - National Association of Realtors

 “
          The good news for homeowners and potential sellers is that despite slowing,
          home prices continue to grow. . . . We expect prices to ease as we head into fall,
          as they have historically, which means we may not see new all-time highs, but are
          likely to see the highest prices ever for the fall and winter season.

          - Danielle Hale, Chief Economist, realtor.com

 “
          Existing-home sales have moderated in recent months, and some may believe that
          this is due to a demand pullback. Yet, examining market dynamics with our
          Potential Home Sales Model indicates the moderation in home sales is the
          result of a lack of supply more so than a falling demand.

          - Mark Fleming, Chief Economist, First American

                                               6
Selling Your House Things To Consider When - Collins Community Credit Union
KEY TAKEAWAY

Sellers who want to close a deal on the best
possible terms shouldn’t wait to put their
houses on the market. Let’s connect today so
you can get in on the action and move into your
dream home this year.

                       7
Selling Your House Things To Consider When - Collins Community Credit Union
Will Home Prices Continue To Rise?

According to the latest CoreLogic Home Price Insights Report, nationwide,
home values increased by an impressive 17.2% over the last 12
months. The dramatic rise happened when the inventory of houses for sale
reached historic lows at the same time buyer demand skyrocketed as a result of
near record-low mortgage rates.

       Where Will Home Values Go from Here?
       Home price appreciation will continue to be determined by an imbalance of supply and
       demand. If supply remains low and demand high, prices will continue to increase,
       making it a great time to sell your house. Frank Martell, President and CEO of
       CoreLogic, explains:
             “Home prices have been rising in the mid-single digits for some years now.
             The recent surge to double-digit price jumps reflect the convergence
             of exceptional demand and persistent low supply . . .”

       Housing Supply
       Home prices are rising, but they should moderate as more housing inventory comes to
       market. George Ratiu, Senior Economist at realtor.com, says there are signs we may
       see the current inventory challenges lessen, slowing the fast-paced home price
       appreciation and creating more choices for buyers:

             “. . . there are still fewer homes for sale than last year when we were focused on
             how limited supply was holding back the housing market. On the other hand, the
             gap continues to shrink. . . . This means that low inventory of homes for sale is
             still a problem, but we’re on pace to see inventories grow before the end
             of the year.”

                                             8
Selling Your House Things To Consider When - Collins Community Credit Union
2021 Home Price Forecasts
           Top real estate analysts’ expectations for annual price appreciation

       14.8%             14.1%                  Average of All Forecasts: 12.46%

                                          12.1%
                                                             11%
                                                                             10.3%

     Fannie Mae          NAR           Freddie Mac         Zelman            MBA

      Housing Demand
      Will the high level of buyer demand last? For over a year, low mortgage rates have
      powered buyer demand. While rates are projected to rise, they’re still much lower than
      the historical norm, which creates opportunity for homebuyers. That’s why demand is
      expected to remain high throughout 2021.
      Taking into consideration the projections on housing supply and demand, real estate
      analysts forecast home prices will continue to appreciate.

Bottom Line
There’s still a very limited number of homes for sale compared to the demand from
purchasers looking to buy them. As a result, home values will continue to appreciate,
making this fall a fantastic time to sell your current house.

                                            9
Selling Your House Things To Consider When - Collins Community Credit Union
Leveraging Your Equity To
Make a Move

According to the latest data from CoreLogic, the average homeowner
gained $33,400 in equity over the past year, and that number continues
to grow as home values appreciate.

              Homeowner Equity Gains over the Past Year

                                                                CoreLogic

                                  10
Potential Home Price Growth over the Next Five Years
Based on projections from the Home Price Expectation Survey

                                                       $443,629
                                            $429,333
                      $399,782
                                 $414,574                          $93,629
           $380,310
$350,000                                                           Potential growth in
                                                                   household wealth over the
                                                                   next five years based solely
                                                                   on increased home equity
                                                                   if you purchased a $350K
                                                                   home in January 2021
  2021      2022       2023       2024       2025       2026
                                                               Home Price Expectation Survey 2021 2Q

      When you sell, the equity you build up over time can be used to help you meet your
      goals. If you’re looking to move, you can use the equity from your current home to
      make a larger down payment on your next one, so you’ll need to finance less of the
      purchase price of that house.
      Alternatively, you can use your equity to reach other big goals in your life, such as
      starting your own business or funding an education.
      The graph above is a great example of how home price appreciation converts into
      equity when you own a home. If you purchased a $350,000 home in January of this
      year, based on projected home price appreciation, you could potentially gain $93,629
      in equity over the next five years – just by being a homeowner.
      So, if you’re thinking of moving, remember that as a homeowner, you may have more
      equity in your house than you realize.
      This equity can also help homeowners who entered the forbearance program. Those
      homeowners who have yet to work out a plan can leverage their equity and sell their
      homes in order to avoid the foreclosure process.

Bottom Line
No matter your situation, let’s connect to find out if your current home equity can help
you make your next move sooner than you may have thought possible.

                                              11
Existing homeowners today are sitting on
record amounts of equity. As homeowners
gain equity in their homes, the temptation
grows to list their current home for sale and
use the equity to purchase a larger or more
attractive home.
- Mark Fleming, Chief Economist, First American

                                        12
Remote Work Is Changing
Our Home Needs

If you're still on the fence of whether or not to sell your house, think about if
your current home still meets your needs. For many homeowners, working
remotely impacts which features are most important in a home.

Before the pandemic, only 21% of
individuals worked from home.
However, a survey of hiring managers
conducted by Statista and Upwork             Working from home isn’t a passing fad – for
projects 37.5% of U.S. workers will          many professionals, it's here to stay.
work remotely in some capacity
over the next five years.
                                                      Percentage of Workers
Working from home gives                            Anticipated To Work Remotely
you more flexibility and                             over the Next Five Years
more options.                                      Based on a survey of hiring managers

If you’re part of that 37.5%, working
                                                                              Fully Remote
from home may provide you with                                        22.9%
opportunities you didn’t realize you
had. Since you don’t need to be tied to
a specific area for your job, it gives you        Not
                                                  Remote                14.6%     Partially
more flexibility when it comes to where                    62.5%
                                                                                  Remote
you can live.
                                                                                Statista/Upwork

                                             13
If you’re one of the nearly 23% of workers who will
      remain 100% remote:
      You have the option to move to a lower cost-of-living area or to the location of your
      dreams. If you search for a home in a more affordable area, you’ll be able to get more
      house for your money, freeing up more options for your dedicated office space and
      additional breathing room.

      You could also move to a location where you’ve always wanted to live – somewhere
      near the beach, the mountains, or simply a market that features better weather and
      community amenities. Without your job tying you to a specific location, you’re bound to
      find your ideal spot.

      If you’re one of the almost 15% of individuals who will have a
      partially remote or hybrid schedule:
      Relocating within your local area to a home that’s further away from your office could
      be a great choice. Since you won’t be going into work every day, a slightly longer
      commute from a more suburban or rural neighborhood could be a worthy trade-off for a
      home with more features, space, or comforts. After all, if you’ll still be at home part-
      time, why not find a place that better suits your needs?

      According to the latest Top Ten Issues Affecting Real Estate from The Counselors
      of Real Estate (CRE), many homebuyers are already taking advantage of their
      newfound flexibility:

            “. . . after years of apparent but variant trends towards urbanization,
            the pandemic universally caused a movement away from urban cores,
            particularly for those with higher incomes who could afford to move and
            for lower-income individuals seeking lower costs of living.”

Bottom Line
If you’ve found what you’re looking for in a home is changing due to remote work,
it may be time to make a move. Let’s start prioritizing your home needs today.

                                            14
If I Sell Now, Where Will I Go?

Now is clearly a great time to sell, but when you do, where will you go? Let’s
compare the benefits of buying a newly built home versus an existing one. That
way, you can consider what most closely aligns with your homeownership goals.

Pros for Purchasing a Newly Built Home

                          Create your perfect home.
                          If you build a home from the ground up, you’ll have the option to
                          select the custom features you want including appliances,
                          finishes, landscaping, layout, and more.

                          Cash in on energy efficiency.
                          When building a home, you can choose energy-efficient options
                          to help lower your energy costs, protect the environment, and
                          reduce your carbon footprint.

                          Minimize the need for repairs.
                          Many builders offer a warranty, so you’ll have peace of mind on
                          unlikely repairs. Plus, you won’t have as many little projects to
                          tackle, like leaky faucets or shutters to paint.

                          Know you have brand new everything.
                          Another perk is that nothing in the house is used, it’s all brand
                          new and uniquely yours from day one.

                                          15
Pros for Buying an Existing Home

                             Explore a wider variety of home styles and floorplans.
                             With decades of homes to choose from, you’ll have a
                             broader range of floorplans and designs.

                             Join an established neighborhood.
                             Existing homes give you the option to get to know the
                             neighborhood, community, or traffic flow and patterns
                             before you commit.

                             Enjoy mature trees and landscaping.
                             Established neighborhoods also have more mature
                             landscaping and trees, which can give you more privacy
                             and curb appeal.

                             Appreciate that lived-in charm.
                             The character of older homes is hard to reproduce. If you
                             value old-school craftsmanship or design elements,
                             you may prefer an existing home.

 Bottom Line
 If you have questions about the options in your area, let's meet to explore what's
 available and what's right for you.

                                            16
17
Save Time and Effort
by Selling with an Agent

Selling a house is a time-consuming process – especially if you decide to do it on
your own, known as a For Sale By Owner (FSBO). From conducting market
research to reviewing legal documents, handling negotiations, and more, it’s an
involved and highly-detailed process. Here are a few things you should consider
before putting that “For Sale” sign up in your yard.

1. Making a Good First Impression                    2. Pricing It Right
While it may sound simple, there are a lot of        Real estate professionals are experienced
proven best practices to think about when            when it comes to looking at recent
prepping a house for sale.                           comparable homes that have sold in your
                                                     area and understanding what price is right
              Do you need to take down               for your neighborhood. We use that data to
              your personal art?
                                                     price your house appropriately, maximizing
                                                     your return.
              What’s the right amount of
              landscaping to boost your              In a FSBO, you’re operating without this
              curb appeal?                           expertise. Even with your own research, you
                                                     may not find the most up-to-date information
              What wall colors are most              and could risk setting a price that’s
              appealing to buyers?                   inaccurate or unrealistic. If you price your
                                                     house too high, you could turn buyers away
If you do this work on your own, you may             before they’re even in the front door or run
invest capital and many hours into the wrong         into problems when it comes time for
things. Your time is money – don’t waste             the appraisal.
it. An agent can help steer you in the right
direction based on current market conditions
to save you time and effort. Since we’re in a
hot sellers’ market, you don’t want to delay
listing your house by focusing on things that
won’t change your bottom line.

                                                18
3. Maximizing Your Buyer Pool
      Simply put, real estate professionals can get your house in front of more buyers via
      their social media followers, agency resources, and proven sales strategies. The more
      buyers that view a home, the more likely a bidding war becomes. Using an agent to
      boost your exposure may help boost your sale price too.

      4. Navigating Negotiations
      When it comes to selling your house as a FSBO, you’ll have to handle all the
      negotiations. Here are just a few of the people you’ll work with:

                                                 The buyer, who wants the best deal possible
                                                 The buyer’s agent, who will use their
                                                 expertise to advocate for the buyer
                                                 The inspection company, which works for the
                                                 buyer and will almost always find concerns with
                                                 the house

                                                 The appraiser, who assesses the property’s
                                                 value to protect the lender

      As part of our training, agents are taught how to negotiate every aspect of the real
      estate transaction and how to mediate potential snags that may pop up. When
      appraisals come in low and in countless other situations, we know what levers to pull,
      how to address the buyer and seller emotions that come with it, and when to ask for
      second opinions. Navigating all of this on your own takes time – a lot of it.

      4. Juggling Legal Documentation
      Speaking of time, consider how much free time you have to review the fine print.
      Just in terms of documentation, more disclosures and regulations are now mandatory.
      That means the stack of legal documents you need to handle as the seller is growing.
      It can be hard to know and truly understand all the terms and requirements. Instead of
      going at it alone, use an agent as your shield and advisor to help you avoid potential
      legal missteps.

Bottom Line
Selling your house on your own is time consuming and requires an immense amount
of effort and expertise. Before you decide to sell your house yourself, let's discuss your
options to make sure you get the most out of the sale.

                                            19
Why Pricing Your House Right Matters

There’s no denying we’re in a sellers’ market. According to the Realtors
Confidence Index Survey from the National Association of Realtors (NAR),
50% of today’s offers are over the asking price.

While it may be tempting to price your house             By pricing your house based on its current
on the high side to capitalize on this trend,            condition and similar homes that have recently
doing so could limit your house’s potential.             sold in your area, your agent can help you set
                                                         a price that’s realistic and obtainable – and
A high price tag doesn’t mean you’re going to
                                                         that’s good news for you and for buyers.
cash in big on the sale. While you may be
trying to maximize your return, the tradeoff             When you price your house right, you increase
may be steep. A high list price is more likely to        your home’s visibility, which drives more
deter buyers, sit on the market longer, or               buyers to your front door. The more buyers
require a price drop that can raise questions            that tour your home, the more likely you’ll have
among prospective buyers.                                a multi-offer scenario to create a bidding war.
                                                         When multiple buyers compete for your house,
Instead, focus on setting a price that’s
                                                         that sets you up for a bigger win.
fair. Real estate professionals know the value
of your home.

  Bottom Line
  When it comes to pricing your house, working with a local real estate professional is
  essential. Let’s meet to discuss how you can optimize your exposure, your timeline, and
  the return on your investment, too.

                                                    20
21
22
“A home, now more than ever,
has become a top priority for
American households.”
- Odeta Kushi, Deputy Chief Economist, First American

                                             23
Let's Chat.
I'm sure you have questions and thoughts about the
real estate process.

I'd love to talk with you about what you've read here and help you on
the path to selling your house. My contact information is below, and I
look forward to working with you.

                             Collins Community Credit Union
                             Altoona, Ankeny, Cedar Falls, Cedar Rapids, Clive, Davenport, Dubuque, Marion,
                             North Liberty, West Des Moines

                             www.collinscu.org/mortgage

                             800-475-1150

                             Equal Housing Opportunity | NMLS# 562330

    FALL 2021 EDITION
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